Apparatus for drying photographic films.



L. GAUMONT. APPARATUSFQR DRYING PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22,1915- Patentd Dec. 26, 191 6.

INVENTOR 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

fuzz/W By Allomcys,

WITNESSES L. GAUMONT. APPARATUS FOR DRYING PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22.1915. 1,209,696. Patented Dec. 26,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR WITNESSES By A iiorneys,

- 478,454, filed February17,;'1909.

mans rn'iu'i oi a LEON eAmuoN'r, or PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR T0 sooIErnnrABLIssEiuEN'rs eAUMoNT, or PA IS, FRANCE, A coRPoRATIoN 0F FRANCE.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING rHo'roeRAPnIc FILMS.

Patented Dec. 26, 11918.

Original application filed February 17, 1909, Serial No. 478,454. Divided and this application filed July 22,

v .1915. Serial No. 41,371. A

- To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, LioN GAUMoN'r, a' citizen of the Republic of France, residing in Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Drying Photographic Films, of whichthe followlng is a specification. p

This invention relates to devices for drying films, more particularly photographicfilms which are made in the form of elongated stripsor bands to adapt them for employment in moving picture'machines, and the like, and aims to provide improvements therein.

The present application is a division of United States application, Serial No.

By the present invention is provided a drier which is automatic in operation, and is especially adapted for working in conjunction with other apparatus for working upon or treating the film. v

I In the invention means are. provided for compensating for variations in the length of the film, such as shrinking; means are provided for automatically stopping the operation of the device upon breaking of the film; and provision is made for transporting the film withoutmutilating or contacting with the prepared surface thereof.

The invention further comprises certain features of construction, combinations andarrangements of parts whereby certain important advantages and conveniences are attained, and the apparatus is rendered simpler, less expensive, and otherwise better adapted and more convenient for use, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is atop plan view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a. side ele- .vation of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a per ective of the apparatus, with parts bro en' away and in section to show the interior construction. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional 7 view, the sectionbeing' taken 'near the topof the apparatus. Figs. 5 and 6 respectively illns rate a detaillof the moistenin'g' device and? a detail. of the rollers .over which, "the /passes.

In" said drawings, '11 designates the film.

The film i which may come from an apparatus wherein it has undergone -treatment,

such as developing, fixing and washing, may first pass over a grooved sheave or guide roller swiveled upon an arm protruding then formed into a pendent loop 1 by means of a loosely heldspool or roller 56, the 0pposite end of said loop Z being passed over a sheave or roller 57 supported upon an arm of the casing 27 immediately in line with an aperture 58, through which the film is passed into engagement with the film-driving and supporting means contained in the chamber 28 in said casing 27, the film being engaged between the roller 57 and the aperture 58 by from the casing 27 of the drier h, and is a rubber or wiper 60 supported by a pivoted arm 59 and serving to remove from the upper surface of the film any excess, of fluid which may adhere thereto. A similar wiper 6O upon the arm which carries the roller 57 has engagement with the under surface of the film for a similar purpose.

Within the chamber 28 is a shaft 65 which extends transversely throughthe upper part of the chamber and carries a toothed feed roller 65 to receive and drive the film enter-,

ing the chamber at the aperture 58. Alongside the feed roller 65 upon the shaft 65 is a plurality of carrying or supporting rollers in the form of alternately arranged spools and thin metafdisks 68 and 69, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 6, said spools and disks being capable of free rotary movement, so as to chamber 28 divided by a central vertical partition into two compartments which are in communication. at the upper part of the casing, and 64 represents a shaft parallel with the shaft 65, being driven in unison with shaft 65 by suitable'gearing, as indicated at 63.. The upper surfaces of the rolls 68 are preferably at such a height that the film passes over the upper edge of the partition.- At .the lower parts of the ,compartments are shafts 66, parallel with.shafts 64 led , may be opened to afiord access to the casing,

11.11:. I 1,aoa,eee

and 65, and having their ends engaged in vertical slots 67, 67 suitably formed in the casing, which slots permit a certain extent of vertical movement of said shafts 66.

The shafts 64 and 66 are provided with film-carrying rollers or sheaves, which are herein shown as formed of spools 68 .and disks ,69 similarly to the corresponding parts upon the shaft 65, and the film after passage over the driving roller is threaded back and forth between and around the carrying sheavesor rollers upon the upper and lower shafts 65' and 66 until it arrives at the side of the casing 27 opposite to the aperture 58, where said film is carried rearwardly in the upper part of the casing, as shown at n in Fig. 4, over the carrying spool or roller at the adjacent end of the shaft 64, being carried thence back and forth in the rear compartment of the drier between and around the film-carrying sheaves or spools upon the rear shafts 64 and- 65, as shown in Fig. 4, until upon arriving at the side of the casing 27, at which the driving roller 65 is located, it is passed around a similar toothed driving roller 64 upon the shaft 64, being thence passed out through an aperture at the rear part of the casing 27, as shown-in Figs. 1 and 4, and Wound upon 'a reel 75" mounted under spring tension upon a shaft 7 76. The shaft 76 has a driving connection 77 with shaft 64, whereby the reel may be actuated for winding the dry film thereon.

At the bottom of the casing 27 apertures are provided, through which a current of suitably dried and warmed air may be introduced, and passed through the com-,

partments of the casing for drying the films therein. The front of the casing preferably has a. closed door 71 through'whichthe conditions of the films and carrying means may be observed from time to time, and this door Within the upper part of the chamber 28 the film is adapted to contact with a moistenlng device comprising a pivoted arm 70 (Fig. 5), one end of which has a pendent carrier 72, the lower end of which has a spongeor other fibrous wiper 71 adapted for light contact upon'the gelatin or prepared surface of the film or print for moistening the same with a liquid adapted to prevent cracking of such surface during drying of the film. Such liquid is supplied in a regulated manner from a cup or receptacle 73 above the casing 71..

In passing over the rollers 55, 56 and'57,

, and over the various rollers 68 upon the shafts 64, 65, and 66, the prepared or gelatin surface of the film is outermost, thereby not coming in contact with the rollers, and l not thereby liable to be mutilated.

fl The shaft 65 (and the shafts entrained therewith) are preferably driven by an electric motor .29 mounted upon or adjacent the I, V

- will be evident that this alarm or si drier. The motor is herein shown as operatively connected with a sprocket wheel 30 upon the shaft 65.

slots 67, 67 and at one side of the casing 27 7 said shafts are projected through vertical slotted apertures in the casing 27 ,as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the protruding ends of such shafts 66 carrying a metallic controlling plate or member 80, one end of which is adapted when the shafts are retained in elevated position by the action of the film or band'i, as above-described, for contact with the spaced brushes or contact members 81 and 82 inserted in a su ply con-v ductor 83 for the motor 29 in suc manner as to establish electrical communication be tween said'spaced brushes and permit the motor 29 to be operated for continuously driving the film throu h the apparatus. The opposite, end 0 the contact member 80 has an insulating block or plate 84 which, when the shafts 66 are held in elevated position by thetension of the film is maintained in contact with acontact brush or member 85 which forms one terminal of a normally open alarm or signal circuit 88, which includes a bell or other alarm or signal device 86, and has its opposite terminal connected with the other supply conductor 89 for the-motor 29. By this con- 'struction it will be seen that in case the film should'break, during its course through the apparatus, the shafts 66, 66 being released from the tension exerted by such film or print, will be permitted to fall, carrying with them the contact member 80, the downward movement of which will operate to withdraw the contact brush 85 from engagement with the insulating block 84 into electrical communication with the end of said member 80, whereby the signal or alarm circuit88 is closed through said member 80 to supply conductor 83, and the bell 86 or equivalent alarm or signal device is actuated to give warning to the attendant so that the broken film or print may be removed from the apparatus. I

During the downward movement of the member 80, an insulating block or .piece 87 is inserted in contact with the brush '81 in the supply conductor 83 of motor29, whereby it will. be seen that as soon as the filmor print is broken and said member-'80 alls,

until such time as the necessary repairs-shall have been attended to by the attendant. It a1 mech is capable of considerable modiin operation so as to continuously drive the film orprint' through the drier (and other apparatus when joined) at such a speed as will dry said film or print, it being.under-- stoodthat by varying the speed at which the said film is driven, many variations may be attained in the finished product without re-v quirlng any intermediate handling or any particular attention upon the part of the operator.

- During the use of the apparatus the prints or films are joined or connected end to end for passage through the apparatus so as to permitthe same to be driven in a substantially continuous manner, and if it is desired to terminate the use of the apparatus for any reason, as for example, at the end of the work-day, a cloth strip or tape will be attached to the end of the last film or print to be treated so that as soon as the latter shall have passed through the apparatus, the

motor may be stopped, leaving said cloth strip or tape in position for drawing the films or prints through the apparatus when the same-is again placed in operation.

The employment of the driving rollers 65 and 64* arranged for driving engagement'with the prints or films serves to distribute the force necessary for feeding the same through the apparatus at such intervals along the length of the film or print as will usually efi'ectivelyavoid breakage or damagethereof, and the arrangement of the several driving and carrying wheels or sheaves is such that the gelatin surfaces of the films or prints are exposed, during their passage around and over the said wheels or sheaves,

'at the outer surfaces of the films or prints and are thereby prevented from such contact with the operative parts as mighlfinjure or destroy the photographic impressions.

The loops Z produced at intervals in the length of the film or print during its passage through the apparatus, afi'ord sufiicient slack of the film or print at points conveniently situated with relation to the driving devices as will compensate for any ordinary irregularities in the speed imparted bythe several driving devices and thereby avoid such tension upon the film or print as niight tend to rupture it. The said loops may advantageously be crossed or skewed as indicated at Z in Figs. 1 and 3, to permit the loose roller or weight 56 to run in contact .with the back surface of the film or print opposite to the gelatin surface so as to avoid the liability of damage to the photographic images from contact of the .roller or weight upon such gelatin surface.

' Modifications may be made in the construction illustrated and described without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is 1. A drying device for photographic films f or prints comprising means for passing the photographic film or print through said dr-ying device, and means Within the drier to supply moisture to the film passing therethrough. r

2. A drying device fdr photographic films or prints comprising means for passing the photographic film or print through said drying device, and means within the drier to supply moisture to the prepared face of the film passing therethrough. I

3. A drying device for photographic films or prints comprising means for passing the photographic film or print through said drying device, and means to supply moi'sture to the prepared face of the film passing therethrough.

4. A drying device for photographic filmsor prints comprising means for passing a film or print through the drying devlce, and means within the'drier movable relatively to the film or print to be dried to supply moisture thereto.

5. An apparatus of the character described, including a drying device, means for passing photographic prints or films there-- through, and means within the drier to supply moisture to the prints or films. passing therethrough.

6. An apparatus of the character described, including a drying device, means for passing photographic prints or films therethrough, and means within "the drying 'device to supply moisture to the films or prints passing therethrough, and a source of liquid supply for the moisture-supplying means exterior of the drying device.

7 An apparatus of the character described, including a drying device, means for passing photographic prints or films therethrough, means within the drying device to supply moisture to the films or prints 1 passing therethrough, and regulab'le means for supplying liquid to the moisture-supplying means.

8. An apparatus of the character described, including a drying device, means for passing photographic films or prints therethrough, a carrier adapted to contact by gravity with, the films or prints and adapted to discharge moisture thereon,,and means for supplying liquid to the carrier.

9. A drying device for photographic R films or prints, comprising means for wipspherical contours.

, ing means,and means operated by the breaking of the film for automatically interrupting the action of said driving means, saidmeans for passing the film through the drier comprising a shaft supported by loops in the film, and said means for interrupting the action of the driving means being actuated by said shaft.

12. A drying device for photographic films or prints, comprising means for passing the film 'or print through the drier in the form of a plurality of loops, said means comprising upper and lower shafts, said lower shaft being supported by the loops in the film.

13. A drying device for photographic films or prints, comprising means for passing the film or print through'the drying device, said means comprising rollers having 14. A drying device for photographic films or prints, comprising a chamber having a partition therein, and means for passaoacac films or prints, comp-rising means in. the drier for carrying forward'the film or print, and means for supporting said film in a loop between said means and the point Where the film is initially fed to the drying device.

17. A drying device for photographic films or prints, comprising means in the A drying device for photographic,

drier for carrying forward the film or print and means for supporting said film in a loop between said means and the point Where the film is initially fed to the drying device, said means for supporting the film in the loop comprising a freely moving weighting roll. i

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

LEON GAUMONT. Witnesses:

CHAS. P. PRnssLY, GABRIEL BELLIARD. 

